Until Then
by NyctophobiaK
Summary: They had their respective families after the war, yet by a twist of fate, a dark secret that involved both of them was revealed, leading to them finally acknowledging where their hearts lied. M for potential smut and moral challenge.
1. prelude

_Disclaimer：I don't own Naruto_

 _A/N: Ready for a long, intense ride? Buckle up. Reviews are appreciated_

* * *

 **Prelude**

She saw Boruto crouching there in the shade of a tree, for quite a while, as if he was observing something. It was early autumn. Maple trees in Konoha had already shed their auburn leaves, with a few exceptions, their colors faded.

Sakura just came off work from the hospital. Before heading home, she went to the late market for a bag of fruits. To better take care of Sarada, she applied for a lesser important job, yet was declined. Resigned, she decided to remain in the position as Konoha's medical minister, at least for the moment.

She stared at Boruto.

Inexplicably, there was something familiar in that boy's lonely silhouette. It was not the kind of familiarity you felt when you came across a friend that you met every day, but a reminder of someone on your mind. You thought you had long forgotten him, until someday, somewhere, a simple glance was enough to bring back memories that was supposed to be buried in the past, and it caught you off guard.

She remembered that was decade ago.

But when she snapped from her reverie, that boy was already gone.

She smiled wryly at herself. It must be her hefty job that made her paranoid. She needed to hurry home and prepare dinner for Sarada. That girl had inherited a taciturn personality from her father, with a tinge of sensitiveness that his father failed to possess - it seemed Sarada was always able to notice her mother's slightest emotional turmoil.

When she arrived home, Sarada was already at the desk, focusing on her homework. Her handwriting was sophisticated, far surpassing her peers.

Sakura smiled. "I'm home."

"Welcome back."

Sarada looked up at her mother's delicate face. The stare was a bit too long, long enough to make Sakura inquire: "Is there something on my face?"

Sarada nodded, touching her own eye lids. "A maple leaf."

Sakura smiled indulgently: "You mischievous one. How could maple leaf stay on my face?"

Sarada merely shrugged. "My guess is right. You must have been to the maple woods behind our academy."

Sakura's smile didn't vanish. "Konoha looks most beautiful in this season, that maple woods in particular. Don't you think so?"

"Mother." Sarada was dead serious: "People do not visit a place every day simply because they find it pleasant to the eye. They go there frequently because it's a special place to them."

Sakura agreed. "Did Kakashi Sensei teach you that?"

Sarada shook her head. "It was Hokage sama. He gave us a speech today in our academy."

Sakura tensed a little, not sure if it was for that epithet, or that person.

She turned away. "I bought tomatoes, salmon, fresh basil and miso sauce. Believe me, dinner is going to be delicious."

* * *

This year's autumn must have come too soon, spiraling down every trace of summer's vigor without mercy. Like a woeful metaphor. Like her life by far.

To be fair, Sakura had accomplished a lot. Straight A student all the way, teammate of Sasuke, student of Kakashi, then Tsunade. As time went by she grew stronger and tougher. Sakura, you have changed. They said. It was a good thing, of course, even Sasuke acknowledged her.

He flicked his finger at her forehead. Wait for me.

She smiled. I will.

But deep down she knew it was not waiting that frightened her, but the numbness she felt - her heart had hardened. Minister Haruno is an admirable woman. Her subordinates commented. Though she is a woman, few men could beat her up; Sakura, even Tsunade agreed, I used to worry about you, now look at you, I'm sure you're going to be great; And Ino and Hinata. They smiled at their respective kids: Cool as your aunt Sakura is, when she was young, she concerned us a lot.

She wasn't sure of how she felt about this, nor did she know what time had taken away from her, moulding her into what she was today.

But there was one person who would always worry about her.

When people questioned her capability in the past, that young boy claimed: I believe in Sakura-chen. Now, when everybody praised her prowess and wished her a lifetime's happiness with Sasuke, that boy stepped back into the crowd. There he quietly stared at her, with that kind yet worrying look, as if silently saying take care.

She thought it was the unspoken thing between them.

Just like every time they fought together for the past fifteen years - words were never needed - this time, without saying a word, he walked out of her life.


	2. Chapter1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

It was Neji's memorial day.

Konoha was unevenful as usual. People ran their business as they did in every other mundane day. The deseased were already gone. Nothing said that better than the brutal passage of time. Only those grave stones and stories recorded in history books reminded people of what happened in that war.

Sakura was checking a patient's medical record when the chief nurse slid the door wide open, dragging a blond boy with her. "Sakura Sama, please bandage his wounds. Other nurses couldn't rein him in."

Boruto.

His face was clean, cleaner than usual, and his body looked perfectly fine.

Sakura nodded to that chief nurse："Thank you. I will send him home when he is done. You can leave now."

The door closed.

Boruto lowered his head.

Sakura quietly smiled: "Tell me, what is this all about?"

Suddenly, Boruto pleaded: "Aunty, could you feign some wounds on me? The kind of wounds that could deceive my mother's Byakugan."

Sakura shook her head. "You used this trick for too many times. Not to mention your mother doesn't need Byakugan to tell if you are lying."

Boruto frowned, like a little fox trying hard to plot something. Sakura couldn't suppress a small smile at this thought. It was her who delivered Boruto, and she still remembered how he felt in her arms. He was a baby at that time.

Years had slipped by.

Boruto's request disrupted her reflection - "Aunt Sakura, only today, please! Today is my uncle's memorial day."

Sakura was taken aback.

Boruto whispered, in a depressing tone: "It's about my mother. Every year this time, she would leave for the forest or the training ground that my uncle Neji used to go, and stay there for a whole day."

Suddenly, a strange feeling gripped her.

Sakura tried to sound casual. "So you want to..."

Boruto dropped his head. "I want mother to notice... that I was wounded. Even if she blames me, beats me, claims her disappointment... it's still better than... I don't like her being like that, as if the whole world has abandoned her. Yet that world... I couldn't enter it, nor could my father. Maybe uncle is there, talking to her, but I couldn't hear anything. I'm scared. I fear that uncle would take my mother away."

The smell of disinfecting solution permeated the air, mixed with fragrance of osmanthus blossoms outside of the window. In Boruto's voice lied a tint of sadness that belied his age.

In this regard... he and Naruto weren't exactly the same.

Sakura thought of Sarada. When she was at Sarada's age, she wasn't as sensitive too.

What exactly made their kids paranoid at such a tender age, when they were born in a long-lasting summer, a peaceful post-war period, and their parents were well-respected shinobi who dotted on them? - They weren't supposed to be this unhappy.

After spending quite some time to persuade Boruto to go back home, Sakura decided to make a trip to the training ground.

* * *

It hadn't changed much.

Old marks and slits left by shuriken were still on those logs, only shinobi who wielded shuriken were different - fresh, youthful faces that failed to echo with those deep in her memory. And among them she couldn't find an ivory-eyed, dark-haired young man who carried an air of aloofness.

You were missed by many. Neji.

Shinobi greeted her, but that dainty woman was nowhere to be found.

If Hinata wasn't here, then it must be the forest. Clamor disquieted Hinata. She would avoid the crowds in the training ground today, moreover, Sakura recalled Boruto's words: "In that world... maybe uncle was there, talking to her, but I couldn't hear anything..."

She needed a quiet place to talk to Neji, didn't she?

It seemed Sarada had to wait a bit longer, Sakura mused, continuing in that direction.

Sakura respected, even admired Neji, but she understood something that Hinata apparently did not: there were things a mother was not supposed to do. When the past baggage excessively drained one's emotion, it was time to let go. At the end of the day, they couldn't bring back the dead, and they lived, not only for themselves.

For Sakura, this forest meant a lot: the Chunin exam where she almost lost her life; the encounter with Orochimaru which led to Sasuke's defection to Sound Village.

Too many memories.

Yet what flashed across her mind were trivial details.

Such as how Sakuke strolled ahead with his hands in pockets; how Naruto failed in his blunt attempts to impress her.

It was Kunochi's intuition that cut short her train of thought - danger.

No, not now.

It was moments ago. There was a fierce fight, and the signs left on the ground screamed outsiders. Sakura sensed something vague and familiar in the air - Hinata. The only thing for sure was that Hinata wasn't hurt. Maybe they didn't intend to harm her.

There was no blood, not a soul.

It struck Sakura that -

Hinata was kidnapped.


	3. Chapter2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Hokage sama's wife disappeared - of course it was known only to a few.

Rumors had it that Hinata left Konoha.

Even Boruto was told that his mother was visiting ally Suna for distraction, and would soon return.

As for verification, Naruto had contacted Gaara to make it more convincing.

Sakura, the first witness, was in full charge of searching for Hinata, though ostensibly she still worked in the hospital.

Anbu immediately invited Sasuke to their newly established special investigating group, as when it came to scouring, barring Byakugan, nothing held a candle to Sharingan.

Strangely, this was actually the second time for Sakura to spend more than a few days with Sasuke ever since their honeymoon.

Dark-haired, dark-clothed, with a vibe of someone who was always on the road, Sasuke looked like a wanderer rather than a married man.

When they called it a day after analyzing the case, Aanbu shinobi filed out, giving them privacy.

Sasuke looked at his wife: "How is your day. Is everything alright?"

Sakura shook her head. "No."

Sasuke didn't expect that. He chucked: "I thought Sarada was more disciplined than Boruto."

He was right. Sarada. They had a daughter more intelligent and mature than her peers.

Was it true that after marriage, man and woman's bond naturally morphed into something that revolved around kids? They hadn't spent much time together. Sasuke had his own redeeming plan, while Sakura, for her responsibility as a mother, and attachment to Konoha, had to stay.

At first they were concerned about this - there already stood many barriers between them: fifteen years' departure; revenge; war; misunderstanding; and those secrets they both agreed better left untouched. They knew each other too well, thus they dealt with each other's scars with a cautiousness that chipped away the foundation of their relationship - they couldn't be entirely honest.

Because of their expectation - she should understand him the best; never hurt him, no matter what - they drifted further apart, although from outsiders' point of view, one step closer they'd be perfect soulmate.

Apart from that, they had different aspirations. Sakura knew she could no longer blurt out: "take me with you, Sasuke-kun. I will make you the happiest person in the world." as she did fifteen years ago. She just couldn't. Not that she had lost her courage, but she was less hot-headed and stubborn, or, simply because her husband, her daughter's father, was never the one she confided in.

* * *

Sarada sensed something unusual when she came home.

Following her hunch, she whisked to the study with excitement, and opened her Sharingan just outside the door.

Her speculation was half right. Sasuke was there, but only him.

"How long are you going to stand there peeking？" Her father's voice was deep.

Sarada walked into the room, cut down to the business: "Where is mother?"

Sasuke didn't bother to move his eyes from the scroll he was reading. Sarada gave it a quick glance. Family Trees and History of Noble Clans in Five Countries. Was Uchiha's name still on the list? She wondered.

Sasuke folded the scroll. "Still remember the jutsu I taught you last time?"

Sarada's lips quirked up. "I ranked number one in the aptitude test."

Sasuke nodded slightly. "Ranking is meaningless." He pointed out. "Not a good metric to measure a shinobi's strength. Naruto becomes Hokage because he has all the qualities it requires to be a great Shinobi."

Sarada bit her lower lips. "I don't hold Uzumaki in high regard."

She was painfully stubborn. "Never."

* * *

Sakura wasn't there because after meeting she returned to her office to fetch some documents.

Since most of her day time was dedicated to investigation, she had to do medical research at home.

Good thing was that Sasuke distracted Sarada a bit, so she didn't have to deal with her daughter's sensitiveness when she was occupied by tasks.

She didn't expect to see Naruto in the hospital.

To be more specific, she bumped into him.

\- with documents in hands a moment ago, Sakura wasn't paying attention to the man walking toward her.

An amused smile cracked her lips, as she smelled something awful on his shirt. It must be Boruto's prank.

Pulling out of his arms, she raised her eyebrows: "Hinata has left only for a few days, and your life is a mess?"

Naruto didn't respond to her banter. No, he couldn't, for he was too caught in a blossom of cherry pink and emerald green.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat at his stare.

She looked away. "You fool."

Naruto scratched the back of his head: "You always look down when walking."

It felt like a pang. Sasuke never noticed her small habits, though she wouldn't fault him on that. The quality time they spent together was limited, let along going out for mindless dates. In retrospect, festivals she had been to - harvest festival, festival of fireworks...even Valentine's Day... - were all celebrated with the blond man in front of her.

"Doctors are off work now." Sakura pressed, trying to drown out her confusing thought."What are you doing here?"

"I was about to..."

"to what?"

"I saw you walk into the hospital. Then I told him." Sai offered idly, arms folding as he stood there, smirking at both of them.


	4. Chapter3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Hinata had not slept so tight for a long time.

She sit up, straight indigo hair cascading down her shoulders, covering her delicate face that resembled nymphaea.

The seventh Hokage is lucky. They said. The pink-haired woman with whom he fought along, and the one that he married are both rare beauties.

"Did you sleep well?"

A familiar voice.

And it had Hinate stiffened, as she instinctively recited to herself the formula taught by Neji: "focus, strength will grow, enough to fend off your enemy."

Do not panic. Focus.

She glared at the source of that familiarity. "How dare you, Sasuke."

Any normal person who found herself lying in a strange cave upon waking up would panic.

When she found out the culprit was her acquaintance, panic doubled.

Hinata was no different, yet when it registered in her that it was Sasuke Uchiha who walked in, she calmed down. Intuition told her she was safe.

As it had predicted, Sasuke cocked up an eyebrow:"It wasn't me, Mrs Uzumaki."

Without addressing that, Hinata stated her suspicion in a flat tone: "But you are the first one to find me. Logically, a pair of Sharingan hardly outstrips the power of fifty elitist Anbu combined together. May I ask... do you know who kidnapped me?"

Something inexplicable flashed across Sasuke's face. "I have no clue."

No clue? If he really had no idea, he would have acted differently. It was human nature. If one was guilty, he would talk more, and do unnecessary stuff.

Hinata didn't push him nonetheless. It wasn't her style, and she didn't feel like to do so.

When the attack happened she was heading for a quiet place to soothe her distracting thoughts; finally waking up, she found herself in a cave, her limbs heavy. She must have been in a coma for several days.

Rest assured, their target wasn't her life or money, as her belongings remained intact. Then why? She couldn't figure it out.

Sasuke turned toward the cave's entrance. "I'll send you home."

"...As someone controversial in the village-" Hinata stopped him in his track. "you are better off not concealing anything."

Sasuke remained unperturbed. "Everyone has his skeleton in the cupboard, Mrs Uzumaki. Isn't it only fair that we keep each other's secrets?"

Hinata seemed hesitant this time. "What secret do I have?"

Sasuke smiled, glancing back: "Why did Naruto marry you?"

"What are you..." Hinata paled, "what are you talking about?"

Sasuke merely shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Naruto won't know about that, at least not from me." His smile never reached his eyes: "If you still want to know who kidnapped you, wait for the investigation result. By the same token, you won't get any information from me."

Hinata clasped the rim of her shirt, her face paler.

She seemed to have inner struggle for a while, then calmed down, moved out of the stone bed, and walked up to Sasuke gracefully. "You shouldn't have threatened me. If it was years ago, Naruto might believe you more, but now, I have Boruto."

Sasuke looked amused. "Threat?"

He gazed at her again: "If you tell Naruto something that you shouldn't, I might as well tell him the truth of Neji's death. "

Petrified, Hinata couldn't find her voice.

Sasuke looked nonchalant. "This is a threat, Mrs Uzumaki."

The raven-haired man then walked out of the cave, leaving Hinata only a sight of his back.


	5. Chapter4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Hinata came back, claiming that she lost her way in the mountainous area where she wandered for a few days. Naruto didn't further pry into it.

Sakura's task thus ended. She ought to feel relieved, yet was frustrated by her misjudgment and the fact that Sasuke found Hinata first. Naruto comforted her: "Sasuke excels in analysis, while your strong forte involves medicine. If you don't mind, I think Hinata needs medicined diet to put on weight she lost."

As a result, Medical Minister Haruno took up a new job - prepare medicined diet for Mrs Uzumaki in the next month.

Dishes Sakura made for Hinata were nutritious cuisines commonly served in late autumn: hare stewed with dried lily, sweet peal soup, pastry stuffed with meat, porridge with dried scallop and jujube.

In order not to fuel Sarada's animosity towards Uzumaki family, she used Ino's and Tenten's kitchens instead, for Sarada might flare up seeing her cooking at home.

When she dropped by, Hinata wasn't there.

It was a blond figure that greeted her on the doorstep: "Sakura!"

Naruto.

The seventh Hokage wasn't in his formal attire. Instead, he was wearing a simple-yet-flattering orange hooded sweater, matched with a pair of black pajama pants that flared loosely around his ankles. And a pair of cloggs that showed his lean, bare feet - Sakura had to look away.

She handed him the bento box: "Make sure Hinata finishes it. Rest assured, one meal for one pound."

Naruto rubbed his nose. "Thank you, Sakura."

It felt strange. Since when did he become so polite...so...distant.

Sakura raised her fist - which landed lightly on his shoulders two seconds later: "Speak like that again, and I will teach you a lesson!"

She met that azure blue: "You're being too polite."

Naruto didn't deny it, yet he looked more serious than her. "Sorry Sakura. I just thought you weren't very happy there days..."

"Of course." Sakura arched an eyebrow: "Your politeness disgusted me."

Naruto chuckled.

"My bad. Well, how can I make up for you?"

Sakura smiled: "Salary hike?"

Naruto smiled back."It's not a S-ranked mission. Without a solid reason, raising your salary will only have you antagonize more - you know those senior cabinet members. "

Sakura crossed her arms: "Then lend me Boruto for a few days. I'll take care of him."

Naruto was taken aback, then chuckled: "You don't take care of him. You tame him."

Sakura's smile only widened. "Nobody out-competes me in this field - have you ever heard of how we medics tame our samples?"

Naruto was still reluctant: "Boys are boisterous, and Boruto is specifically - and your daughter. Will Sarada agree?"

Sakura was concerned about this too, but she needed to convince Naruto.

"Only for a couple of days. She will be alright."

"...fine." Naruto gave up. "but you have to ask Boruto yourself. If he objects to your proposal, I don't mind volunteering as your sample."

Sakura nodded amusedly.


	6. Chapter5

_A/N:Thanks for all the support and encouragement!_

* * *

 **Chapater 5**

* * *

Boruto grumbled, looking at her mother: "Do I really have to spend time with that scary girl?"

Hinata corrected him: "It's not appropriate to call a girl like that."

Seeing Boruto lower his head, Hinata softened her voice: "It's a good opportunity to learn from Sarada, isn't it? She is number one in your class after all."

Boruto quietly watched her mother fold his clean clothes one by one and put them in a small suitcase that had a Uzumaki sigil on it. He frowned - The bell rang.

Boruto volunteered: "I'll get the door!" A good escape, and surprisingly, on their doorstep stood a stranger. A good-looking man. The man stooped in front of him: "You are Boruto."

"Of course I am." Feeling the handsome stranger was scrutinizing him, Boruto tilted his head: "Who are you?"

"It's uncle Sasuke." Hinata came out from the house, her move elegant. Aside from Boruto's suitcase, she had a small paper bag in her hand.

"Thanks for coming over to fetch Boruto." - though her tranquil voice barely reflected genuine gratitude.

Sasuke moved to address Hinata. "He looks like you."

Hinata bit her lips. "It's my son."

Sasuke merely signed. "Really?"

His glance flitted between the suitcase and Boruto: "Don't you have hands?"

Almost immediately Boruto rebutted: "Of course I do!" Sasuke was already walking toward the gate. Grabbing his suitcase, Boruto wasted no time in chasing after Sasuke, before shouting back at the top of his lungs: "Take care, mom! I'll be soon back home!"

The little boy's shadow stretched long and narrow under sunset.

It was until he disappeared in her sight that Hinata remembered that small paper bag - it was Boruto's favorite snack.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Uchiha's house, Sakura was trying to talk Sarada in.

Knowing how obstinate her daughter could be, Sakura went to extra length by turning to Sai for help. In Sasuke's absence, among all her mother's friends Sarada admired Sai the most. Compared to Naruto who had a reputation of being reckless and Shikamaru who tended to shy away from slightest trouble, Sai seemed to be a lot more perceptive and mature.

Sai sit across the table.

Sakura excused herself and went to the kitchen for tea.

When she was sure Sarada couldn't see her , Sakura leaned against the wall and listened carefully.

They weren't talking in the room. Instead, Sai took out a piece of paper, a brush, and began to paint.

The only sound reached Sakura's ears was the grainy noise of brush grazing along the paper. Her face narrowed. Sai truly was smart - and sometimes being too smart was annoying.

After a while, she heard Sarada clear her voice: "It has been a while. Tea must be ready... I'll see how mother is doing."

Sai stood up and excused himself pleasantly："I've finished my task."

Finally, Sakura went out from where she hid herself with a tray of tea things. The table was empty. She put down the tray as if nothing happened. "Has Sai already left?"

"Yes." Sarada smiled. "because we have another guest...and he's arriving soon."


End file.
